1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the construction of a coating film transfer tool for use in transferring a transfer layer provided on one side of a tape in a strippable state to a coating film receiving surface.
More particularly the present invention relates to the construction of a coating film transfer tool wherein a main body is formed small so that a superior portability is provided and wherein replacement work for a used-up coating film transfer tape is facilitated with as few operations as possible being involved. In addition, the invention relates to the construction of a coating film transfer tool which can contribute to conservation of resources and reduction in the amount of wastes by reducing the number of constituent members which are disposed in association with the replacement of refills.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a plurality of coating film transfer tools have been devised for use in transferring repairing paint or an adhesive layer onto the surface of a piece of paper or the like, and as one of those coating film transfer tools a product is marketed in which a main body is formed small and thin.
A product, for instance, illustrated in FIG. 27 can be taken as an example for description. The product represents the construction of a coating film transfer tool disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2001-48414. This coating film transfer tool comprises a supply reel and a take-up reel which are provided in the interior of a main body of the tool in such a manner as to operate in an interlocked fashion, and a disposable type coating film transfer tape is installed in the tool for use. Normally, coating film transfer tools of this disposable type have been dominant in the market place. This is because the coating film transfer tools were originally devised as a portable product, and therefore since they are used less frequently when compared with normal products developed for office use, the disposable type coating film transfer tools can be used for a long time without replacing coating film transfer tapes. However, small coating film transfer tools like this have been so popular that they are used not only as a portable tool but also as a normal office tool since they not only provides superior convenience but also are easy to hold and require no specific place to be accommodated. However, since the amount of coating film transfer tape provided in advance in the tool is limited as a result of miniaturization of the main body, when the tool is used frequently the consumption of the coating film transfer tape increases markedly, and therefore the coating film transfer tape is often used up in the middle of use. Namely, the length of coating film transfer tape provided in the coating film transfer tool for the normal use is in the order of 10 m while the length of coating film transfer tape in the coating film transfer tool for the portable use is in the order of 5 m, and therefore when used equally frequently the coating film transfer tool for the portable use runs out of coating film transfer tape substantially two times faster than the tool for the normal use, this requiring the use to buy products of the former type quite frequently. Due to this, while with the disposable type products, the internal construction of the coating film transfer tool can be made simple and therefore they can be provided at inexpensive production costs, there are produced lots of wastes, causing problems from the viewpoints of conservation of resources and reduction in the amount of wastes to be discharged.
To cope with the problems, in recent years mechanisms have been developed for recycling fully consumed or used up coating film transfer tapes that are removed from the tools to make them reusable, and in reality there have been marketed some products having such a mechanism. Then, it can be considered to adopt the same mechanism in the small coating film transfer tools to attempt at conserving resources and reducing the amount of wastes to be discharged, but with the currently known tape replacing mechanisms there exist the following problems.
Since tape replaceable coating film transfer tools are intended to conserve resources and reduce the amount of wastes to be discharged, it is ideal to replace only the used up coating film transfer tape with a new coating film transfer tape with no other constituent component which are accessory thereto being replaced together with the tape. However, since it is difficult for the user to replace coating film transfer tapes only with ease, in reality some other constituent members are also replaced together with tapes to some extent. When looking carefully at currently marketed products, it is found that in reality quite a number of constituent members are replaced together with coating film transfer tapes when the tapes are replaced.
For example, FIG. 28 shows a refill coating film transfer tape 800 which is disclosed in Japanese unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 6-286927. To explain specifically with reference to the tape, there have been marketed a number of conventional products adopting a cartridge type coating film transfer tape with a view to facilitating the replacement work of coating film transfer tapes. In the case of such a product, normally replaced are a coating film transfer tape 805, a core 801 of the coating film transfer tape, a take-up reel 802, a holder 803, a transfer head 804 and the like. Here, to observe the operation of the coating film transfer tape, the tape is first supplied, then the coating film is transferred by the head, and the used tape is taken up around the take-up reel, and since the operations are carried out as a series of operations, it is true that in case constituent members associated with the operations are consolidated into a cartridge, the replacement work can be facilitated. However, it is totally a waste to replace many constituent members which function properly together with the used up coating film transfer tape, and such a design can be said as departing from the original object to conserve resources and reduce the amount of wastes to be discharged.
In addition, while there exist among the cartridge type products some products which are simple in construction and hence comprise fewer constituent members, it is often the case with such a product that the replacement work becomes more complicated by an extent to which the number of members to be replaced is reduced.
To cope with this, a technique has been proposed for eliminating the drawbacks inherent in the cartridge type coating film transfer tools.
For instance, an invention such as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 9-2724 is taken for example. As shown in FIG. 29, in a coating film transfer tool according to the invention, a transfer head 900 and an arm 901 for supporting the transfer head 900 are provided in such a manner as to rotate together, and as shown in FIG. 30, a replacement coating film transfer tape 1001 mounted on a holder 1000 can easily be mounted on the tool. Namely, when replacing coating film transfer tapes the head 900 and the arm 901 are rotated to be put in a state shown in FIG. 31, and in this state the replacement coating film transfer tape 1001 fixed to the holder 1000 and a take-up reel 1002 can be mounted on the coating film transfer tool from thereabove. After the tape has been mounted properly, the coating film transfer tape is automatically set relative to the head by rotating the head 900 and the arm 901 in a counterclockwise direction, and at the same time the coating film transfer tape is taken up to eliminate a slack thereon, thus the replacement work being implemented with ease. In many cases, it is the most troublesome to the user with respect to the tape replaceable coating film transfer tool to engage the coating film transfer tape with the head at the time of replacing coating film transfer tapes, but according to the construction of the aforesaid coating film transfer tool, the coating film transfer tape can be hooked on the head in replacing the tapes with no complicate operation by the user being involved. Furthermore, since the tape can also be automatically adjusted to eliminate the slack thereon, the mechanism can be regarded as superior. In addition, in general, as the replacement work of coating film transfer tapes gets easier, the number of constituent members to be replaced tends to increase, and in case only the used up transfer tape is attempted to be replaced while the number of constituent members to be replaced is decreased, the user had to perform troublesome work of manually hooking the coating film transfer tape on the head and thereafter adjusting the take-up reel to eliminate the slack on the tape. However, with the coating film transfer tool according to the cited invention, the necessity of performing such troublesome work is obviated. Furthermore, the members to be replaced are limited to the coating film transfer tape, the take-up reel, the coating film transfer tape core and the holder, and therefore the conservation of resources has been markedly improved when compared with the products in which almost all of the internal mechanism of the coating film transfer tool are intended to be replaced.
Even with the improved product, however, further improvement is possible, and there has been a demand for improvement in which the replacement of coating film transfer tapes can be implemented with a simpler operation while attempting to attain conservation of resources as well as reduction in the amount of wastes to be discharged.
For example, with the conventional techniques including the aforesaid one, the five-stage operation has been required; {circle around (1)} opening the main body case, {circle around (2)} rotating the head and the arm, {circle around (3)} replacing coating film transfer tapes, {circle around (4)} returning the head and the arm to the original positions, and {circle around (5)} closing the main bodycase. Although the operation itself becomes less difficult to perform once the user gets used to it, the user still has to feel troublesomeness and there still exists a risk that the user tends to have an unfavorable impression against the product.
Then, the present invention was made in view of the problems inherent in the conventional techniques, and an object thereof is to provide a coating film transfer tool which is made smaller to provide superior portability and which can implement the replacement of a used up coating film transfer tape with fewer operations. In addition, the other object of the invention is to provide a coating film transfer tool which can contribute to the conservation of resources and reduction in the amount of wastes to be discharged by reducing the number of constituent members to be disposed when a refill is supplied to replace the used up coating film transfer tape.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a coating film transfer tool for use to transfer a transfer layer provided on a side of a tape in a strippable state to a coating film receiving surface, the coating film transfer tool being characterized in that a head automatically rotates to a tape replacement position when a main body is divided to be opened for supply of a refill for replacement, and in that a coating film transfer tape is automatically taken up to be wrapped around a distal end portion of the head whereby transfer work becomes possible when the main body is closed after the replacement with the refill has been completed.
According to the construction of the first aspect of the invention, when the main body is divided to be opened for supply of the refill for replacement the head automatically rotates to the tape replacement position, whereas when the main body is closed after the replacement with the refill has been completed the tape is automatically taken up to be wrapped around the distal end portion of the head whereby transfer work becomes possible. As a result, the troublesome work that has been carried out manually in the conventional techniques can be eliminated and the replacement work of coating film transfer tapes can be implemented extremely easily. In addition, in replacing coating film transfer tapes, the members that are provided on the main body such as the head, the take-up reel and the supply reel do not have to be replaced but can continue to be used, thereby making it possible to provide the coating film transfer tool that can contribute to the conservation of resources and reduction in the amount of wastes to be discharged.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a coating film transfer tool as set forth in the first aspect of the invention, wherein a gear portion is provided which is adapted to mesh with a rack provided on one of main body members constituting the main body, and wherein a head retaining body is provided in the interior of the other main body member in such a manner as to be rotatably supported.
According to the construction of the second aspect of the invention, the gear portion is provided which is adapted to mesh with the rack provided on one of the main body members constituting the main body, and the head retaining body is provided in the interior of the other main body member in such a manner as to be rotatably supported. Then, when the main body is divided to be opened to supply of the refill for replacement, the rack and the gear portion provided on the head retaining body come to mesh with each other, whereby the head retaining body rotates. Due to this, in supplying the refill for replacement, when the main body is divided to be opened the head automatically rotates to the tape replacement position whereas when the main body is closed after the replacement with the refill has been completed the tape is automatically taken up to be wrapped around the distal end portion of the head, whereby the replacement work becomes possible. Consequently, the respective members provided in the interior of the main body do not have to be moved individually, thereby making it possible to provide the coating film transfer tool in which the replacement work of coating film transfer tapes can be implemented extremely easily.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a coating film transfer tool as set forth in the first or second aspect of the invention, wherein the head retaining body automatically moves to a side of a take-up reel so that the coating film transfer tape is disengaged from the head when the main body is divided to be opened for supply of a refill for replacement whereas the head retaining body automatically rotates in a reverse direction so that the coating film transfer tape is engaged with the head when the divided main body is closed, and wherein the coating film transfer tape is drawn out as the head retaining body so rotates, whereby the slack of the coating film transfer tape is removed.
According to the construction of the third aspect of the invention, when the main body is divided to be opened in supplying the refill for replacement, the head retaining body rotates and, the head automatically moves to the side of the take-up reel so as to be disengaged from the coating film transfer tape. In addition, when the divided main body is closed the head retaining body automatically rotates in the reverse direction whereby the tape is hooked on the head, and the coating film transfer tape is then drawn out to eliminate the slack on the tape. Consequently, the respective members provided in the interior of the main body do not have to be moved individually, thereby making it possible to provide the coating film transfer tool in which the replacement work of coating film transfer tapes can be implemented extremely easily.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for replacing coating film transfer tapes for use in a coating film transfer tool for use to transfer a transfer layer provided on a side of a tape in a strippable state to a coating film receiving surface, the coating film transfer tool being constructed such that a head automatically rotates to a tape replacement position when a main body is divided to be opened for supply of a refill for replacement and that a coating film transfer tape is automatically wrapped around a distal end portion of the head whereby transfer work becomes possible when the main body is closed after the replacement with the refill has been completed, the method comprising the operations of dividing the main body to open it for removing a coating film transfer tape that has been used up, mounting a refill coating film transfer tape on a supply reel and a take-up reel after the used-up coating film transfer tape has been removed, and closing the divided main body.
According to the construction of the fourth aspect of the invention, when the main body is divided to be opened for supply of the refill for replacement the head automatically rotates the tape replacement position whereas when the main body is closed after the replacement with the refill has been completed the tape is automatically taken up to be wrapped around the distal end portion of the head whereby the transfer work becomes possible. Consequently, the replacement of coating film transfer tapes can be implemented simply through the operations of dividing the main body to open it for removing the used up coating film transfer tape, mounting the refill coating film transfer tape on the supply reel and the take-up reel after the used up coating film transfer tape has been removed and closing the divided main body.
The present invention is constructed such that when the main body is divided to be opened for supply of the refill for replacement the head automatically rotates to the tape replacement position whereas when the main body is closed after the replacement with the refill has been completed the tape is automatically taken up to be wrapped around the distal end of the head whereby transfer work becomes possible. According to this construction, there is provided a coating film transfer tool which can eliminate the troublesome work that has been carried out manually in the conventional techniques and implement extremely easily the replacement work of coating film transfer tapes. In addition, there is also provided a coating film transfer tool which can contribute to the conservation of resources and reduction in the amount of wastes to be discharged by allowing the members that are provided on the main body such as the head, the take-up reel and the supply reel to continue to be used without having to be replaced in replacing coating film transfer tapes.